Get Active: Start a Walking Program
Enjoy the warm weather by starting a summer walking program! There are several benefits of adding daily activity to your routine, and BlueCross WalkingWorks offers you essential tips and information on how to incorporate more walking into your lifestyle.

One of the great things about starting a walking program is that you can walk anywhere, anytime, and it improves your health! Benefits of adding daily walks to your routine include:

Toning your body and losing weight.
Many people want to lose weight— and walking can help. In fact, walking can be better than running in some conditions. It raises your heart rate high enough to burn calories and build cardio-respiratory health.

Improving your mood.
Walking is a simple exercise that produces endorphins and hormones like adrenaline in the body. Endorphins and adrenaline boost your mood, relieve pain and create a feeling of well-being.

Relieving stress.
Walking is a great way to relieve stress because it stretches and relaxes muscles to relieve tension. And many people may use their walking time to think about how to address difficult situations at home or work. Others de-stress by walking with friends.

Preventing disease.
Walking may help prevent diseases and conditions related to blood flow including heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Since walking increases blood flow in the brain, walking is even good for your mind. It can improve your ability to focus, and walking may prevent dementia. Physical therapists often suggest walking as a way of recovering from an accident, disease or surgery.

Check out the BlueCross WalkingWorks area on bcbst.com to start and maintain a daily walking regimen, record your progress, and reach your goals. You can also find tips for stretching, easy ways to add steps to your day and guidelines for choosing walking shoes. Be sure to check the Calendar of Walking Events to find organized walking events in your area.

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